Recognition Programs

We love to recognize your achievements and we have a number of awards programs to honor the industry’s finest individuals and organizations.

AdWheel Awards
Each year, APTA honors members’ marketing and communications efforts with the AdWheel​ Awards. The 2020 competition window opened for entries on October 31, 2019, and close on December 6, 2019. First Place Awards will be announced in mid-January 2020, and will be honored at the Marketing & Communications Workshop in February 2020. Grand Awards will be presented at the APTA’s 2020 TRANSform Conference and EXPO in October 2020. First Place winner entrants will be notified of their Grand Award status in the early summer of 2020.

APTA Awards
The APTA Awards recognizes excellence in the public transportation industry in North America, both on an individual level and an organizational level. Called the “best of the best” of the public transportation industry, the APTA award winners are outstanding role models of excellence, leadership, and innovation whose accomplishments have greatly advanced public transportation. The nomination deadline is in April of each year; awards are presented at the Annual Meeting in the Fall.

Bus Operator Customer Service Challenge
Held each spring, this competition tests the customer service skills of bus operators as they face real-life scenarios. Contestants are judged on their ability to resolve each scenario.

Bus Safety & Security Excellence Awards
The Safety & Security Excellence Award recognize APTA Bus transportation systems that have implemented programs or projects that have achieved documented success in addressing specific safety or security program areas. The nomination deadline is in March of each year.

Call Center Challenge
APTA’s Call Center Challenge recognizes the outstanding efforts of APTA member transit system call center personnel. Participants are challenged with real-life call center scenarios and judged on their ability to resolve each scenario in a friendly and professional manner. The application process​ opened Thursday, November 21, 2019 and will close on December 9, 2019. The finalist competition will be at the APTA Marketing & Communications Workshop, which will run from February 23-26, 2020, in Orlando, FL.

Photo Invitational
The invitational seeks photos that depict public transportation’s significance, value and benefits of opportunity, access, freedom, and mobility. Anyone can enter. For the 2020 competition, the entry window opened on October 4, 2019, and closed on November 12, 2019.

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